


Consequences

by CeruleanIntrospection



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: (well as of now that is), And also a mild and brief side of angst/introspection, Canon Compliant, F/F, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Moving On, One Shot, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:24:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9173497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanIntrospection/pseuds/CeruleanIntrospection
Summary: "So..." Pearl ventures softly, "what's life going to be like, then, without Rose in it?" She may as well find out, even if she doesn't want to, since it's seemingly inevitable at this point.Sapphire seems to understand what she's asking, but when she turns to Pearl and opens her mouth, her answer is less than satisfactory."I don't know," she says, her voice almost a whisper.(Sapphire decides [well, it was Ruby's idea, technically] to talk with Pearl about the consequences of Rose's pregnancy. Neither are as prepared as they'd like to be.)





	

It never even occurs to Pearl that she can simply warp somewhere if she wants to be alone.

This time, she just runs away.

She's not thinking straight. She shoots out of the temple like a bullet when Rose breaks the news to her, sprinting as fast as her legs can carry her. Pearls aren't built for such strenuous activities, but a few millennia of training has undeniably toughened her up, and being fueled by a violent outburst of emotions is certainly helping just as much.

Pain. Shock. Anger. Fear. It all swarms about in her mind, making her feel like her gem is just about ready to shatter from the pressure at any moment.

She skids to a halt, sand spraying everywhere as she drops down to her knees on the beach, desperate to regain composure.

What is she even doing? She could have just warped. She _should_ have just warped.

That's what she usually does when she needs some space. She strolls out of the temple, exuding an aura of startling aloofness strong enough to warn the others not to bother her. The entire world is at her fingertips, but for some strange, inexplicable reason, she always warps herself to the Strawberry Battlefield, and there she sits in solitude for a few hours. She rests her head in her hands and gazes up at the night sky; sometimes, if she searches for it hard enough, her eyes stumble upon Homeworld's galaxy, shimmering forlornly in the distance. Memories of who she was. Reminders of where she is.

Discarded Gem weapons would lay about her haphazardly, remnants from the rebellion, all masked in the sickly sweet odor of strawberries. She would brood there in solitude, pent-up frustrations dissipating as she absentmindedly strokes the edges of the swords and axes nearest to her.

_Unbelievable, isn't it? This was once a Gem battlefield, and now it's just...just wild strawberries as far as the eye can see._

"Unbelievable," Pearl murmurs in agreement to the holographic memory she has unwittingly projected in front of her.

Holo-Rose smiles as she floats above the shimmering waves. _Regrowth,_ she continues, clasping her bluish hands together. _Rebirth! That's what I love about Earth. Everything's changing._

"And that's what I don't like!" Pearl cries, pulling at her hair. The memory has ended, the image of Rose frozen in a placid mid-smile, but Pearl can't stop the words from rushing out of her mouth.

"You fought for this planet because it had so much potential! And we fought with you, and you told us we could never go back, but we didn't care! Your cause was just...so...so _inspiring!_ To feel like...like we could be more than what we were made to be...you told us this was our new home. And it has been. It's been our home for far longer than you've known... _him._ I don't understand, Rose! You said you would stay here with us! You said you would stay here with _me."_

She falls silent and considers reaching an arm out to the hologram, but decides against it in the end.

Selfishness is her greatest downfall, and she knows it. She wants Rose. She wants all of Rose. And perhaps it has taken her a while to come to terms with it, but Pearl has eventually come to accept that she isn't the only Gem playing a role in Rose's life.

But more recently, Gems haven't been the only _ones_ playing a role in Rose's life, either.

"Rose, please think about it for a second." Pearl eyes the hologram as she runs a slightly trembling hand through her hair. "Do you—do you really want to give up your form for some _human?_ You've never done this before, not with any of the other ones. No Gem has _ever_ done this before! The consequences could be disastrous! Why didn't you at least tell us before making your decision? Don't any of us matter to you?!" She exhales sharply and blinks rapidly as her voice drops to a whisper. Her eyes sting as she mumbles out the rest.

"You know I'm not ready for a life without you. I don't think I'll ever be."

"Pleading with the past isn't going to change any of it, you know."

She gasps, shooting upwards. Holo-Rose flickers briefly, then dissolves altogether as Pearl sinks knee-deep into embarrassment.

Oh, stars. She'd been followed.

She _really_ should have used the warp pad.

She takes a deep breath, wipes her eyes, and shakes the excess sand off of her leg warmers, doing her best to appear calm and collected.

And then she turns around and promptly loses her composure all over again.

"I—you two—!" she sputters, staring straight at the source of the intrusion. "But _why_ —" She shakes her head, trying again. Only one word comes out.

_"Sapphire?"_

Sapphire simply gives a nod in response and makes her way across the beach towards Pearl, unfazed.

Garnet only unfuses in the most perilous of situations, or if something proves too tough for her to handle—and virtually _nothing_ is too difficult for Garnet to handle. A fresh, new wave of anxiety washes over Pearl as she realizes what this means, as she frets over what could have possibly happened during her brief excursion.

"Is—is everything alright?" she asks, her shoulders tensing up, her hands instinctively moving to her forehead to summon a spear if need be. "Did someone get hurt?"

"No, no one's hurt," Sapphire assures her.

"Oh. That's...good." Pearl clears her throat. "I, uh..." She interlocks her fingers and begins to fidget with her thumbs, trying to formulate an appropriate response.

She hasn't seen Sapphire or Ruby in so long; there was simply no reason to. There had been no recent mission or battle dangerous enough to call for the two to split apart. Of course Pearl can sense their presence whenever she forms Sardonyx or Alexandrite or any other fusion with Garnet, but seeing them completely separated? It's a rare occurrence; she can't help but be shocked.

"Uh...where's Ruby?" she manages finally.

"She's back at the temple with Amethyst and Rose. This was her idea, actually."

Pearl frowns in confusion. "What is?"

Sapphire brushes off the question and simply gestures to ground with a gloved hand. "Sit down," she instructs her. "We need to talk."

Pearl obliges, albeit confused. She takes a seat on the sand and stares at Sapphire expectantly.

"Good," Sapphire says. "Now we're at eye-level. That should make things easier." She uses her hands to sweep aside a curtain of powder blue bangs, revealing her only eye: deep azure, slightly apprehensive, and penetrating right through the core of Pearl's gem like a shard of ice, sending chills running down her spine.

"You seem to be fixated on the past."

Pearl stiffens. Is that what she's come to talk about?

Of _course_ it is.

It's as if Pearl is the only one who even values the past anymore. The only one who thinks memories are actually worth preserving.

"All _you_ ever seem to care about is the future," Pearl counters irritably. She regrets it as soon as the words exit her mouth, however; she can feel her cheeks radiating heat in embarrassment.

To her surprise, Sapphire simply gives her a wry smile and chuckles softly in response. "I suppose so."

Pearl sighs and massages her temples. "I'm sorry. I'm just...overwhelmed."

"And that's perfectly understandable," Sapphire says, adjusting the hem of her skirt. "But this is what Rose wants. You have to accept that."

"But I just _can't!_ I can't believe this is happening. I thought she was _happy_ with us. She's known us for _millennia,_ and now she's choosing to throw everything we have away for some human whose lifespan is so _ridiculously_ ephemeral it'll be over in the blink of an eye—"

"Are you mad at him?"

Pearl is taken aback. "What?"

Sapphire stares back at her, unblinking. "Are you mad at Greg?"

Pearl jumps to say yes, yes of _course_ —Greg is the stem of this whole predicament, isn't he?—but she is quickly interrupted.

"Think about it for a moment," Sapphire advises her. "Jealousy and anger are two different things. And trust me," she adds, a hint of humor infused in her tone, "I've had plenty of experience with anger management. So is it really _Greg_ you're angry with?"

"I...no," Pearl admits with sigh. "I suppose not, if you put it that way. I don't despise him. This was Rose's decision as well—even if he _was_ an accomplice." She tries and fails to mask the look of utter distaste on her face as she imagines the process of human reproduction. Perhaps some things on Earth are better left as mysteries.

"Then who is it you're mad at? Rose?"

Pearl huffs indignantly. "Don't be ridiculous! Of course not!"

"It's okay to say yes."

"But I'm not angry with her! I'm just..." she sighs. "I'm just _confused."_

"We all are, Pearl." Sapphire turns her head away momentarily to gaze up at the stars sparkling above them. "It's going to be difficult without her. But we're going to pull through. We'll have each other."

"I don't know what I am without her."

Sapphire nods, her eye still locked on the night sky. "She did help us all realize our purpose. Ruby and I— _Garnet_ —she wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Rose Quartz. If it weren't for the rebellion. The fact that a single Gem can alter the course of our entire lives...it's incredible, really."

Pearl can't help but chuckle softly. "Well, she _was_ incredible." Then she winces, realizing that she had talked about her in past tense.

 _Was._ It's almost as if she can feel Rose slipping away from her already.

"So..." she ventures softly, "what's life going to be like, then, without Rose in it?" She may as well find out, even if she doesn't want to, since it's seemingly inevitable at this point.

Sapphire seems to understand what she's asking, but when she turns to Pearl and opens her mouth, her answer is less than satisfactory.

"I don't know," she says, her voice almost a whisper.

Pearl eyes narrow in confusion. "But your future vision—"

"It should work, I agree," Sapphire replies. "And it is, to an extent. I know we'll all still be together. And we'll have a new member in our ranks. Maybe even two. Or three," she muses, but then shakes her head. "But that's too far down the road to tell for certain."

"A new member..." Pearl says. "You don't mean—?"

Sapphire nods. "Rose's offspring."

Pearl sighs. "That's what I thought. But why isn't your future vision working? I thought Garnet's was compromised because she's a fusion. Surely, by yourself, you can still...?" She trails off expectantly.

"I used to be able to."

"Oh, did you?" Pearl asks, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes. Until Ruby came into the picture. She changed _everything,"_ Sapphire says, smiling fondly as she shakes her head, her one eye misted over with nostalgia. "You and Rose were supposed to poof me, but she intervened, we fused, and, well...you know the rest of that story. My future vision was never the same after that. I can't see one fixed outcome anymore—just several possible ones. And each one of those leads to even more possible outcomes. The possibilities are _endless,"_ she breathes in awe, as if staring into the gaping jaws of uncertainty is _exciting,_ for some reason. "I suppose what I'm saying is that you can't count on me for everything, Pearl. I used to think the Diamonds would crush the rebellion and shatter you and Rose! And you _know_ how wrong I was on that."

Pearl laughs. "I suppose I do." Her laughter fades away just as quickly as it starts, however, replaced by the tight feeling of uncertainty in her chest. "What do we do, then, if even _you_ don't know how this is going to turn out?"

"We have Greg."

Pearl rolls her eyes. "Ugh. Don't remind me."

"He's the father of Rose's child. You're going to have to get along with him sooner or later."

"I'll vouch for later."

Sapphire's shoulders bob up and down gently in what seems to be a shrug, but it's almost imperceptible. "Suit yourself. It's bound to happen at some point anyhow. But even if you don't want to talk to Greg just yet, you still have us. We're still the Crystal Gems."

The beginnings of a smile begin to tug on the corners of Pearl's mouth. No one can truly ever replace Rose, but she appreciates the sentiment. "Thank you, Sapphire."

"Don't thank me yet. Just wait until you meet Steven."

Pearl raises an eyebrow, confused. "Steven?"

"Oh!" Sapphire puts a hand to her mouth, her cheeks tinted a dark blue from embarrassment as she begins to float away from Pearl. "I've said too much."

Pearl leaps up, ready to run after her. "No, you haven't!" she protests. "Come back here!"

She had forgotten just how fast Sapphire is; by the time her feet begin to hit the sand, the blue gem is merely a hovering speck in the distance. Pearl sighs in defeat and settles for staring up at the sky instead. Homeworld's galaxy is up there, like it always is, burning as bright as ever. She doesn't even have to search it out this time.

"Steven, huh?" she murmurs into the night. "Well, I've heard worse names for humans, I suppose." She takes a deep breath. The air is tinged with the pungent smell of the sea and her chest feels like it's brimming with saltwater.

Everything still hurts, and the pain feels much more fresh and new now that she's accepted it. She's going to miss Rose terribly; she knows it. Still, as she walks across the beach and back to the temple, she can't help but wonder what the hybrid child—this "Steven," presumably, will look and act like. She wonders if she will ever get accustomed to the glaring, gaping void the life ahead of her promises. She wonders if the wounds will ever heal.

Only time can tell.

**Author's Note:**

> Just something quick to start off the year with so I can stretch my writing muscles a bit. The only Gems I've ever written stuff for are Peridot, Lapis, and Amethyst. I suppose I just wanted to change that, lol. I also wanted to practice writing something in present tense, which I feel works for this piece moreso than past tense. I tried to make everything terse, yet descriptive. I know the whole "grief over Rose" idea isn't anything new, but I decided to add Sapphire's thoughts into the picture to put my own spin on it.
> 
> Writing Pearl was...a challenge for me, to say the least (albeit a fun one). I can only hope it hasn't turned out too bad. She claims she never hated Greg in Mr. Greg, but she still seems pretty bitter and torn up about the whole affair in Three Gems and a Baby; I tried to combine both of those aspects. I feel like she never hated anyone, but was just overwhelmed, confused, and angry at the entire situation itself.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! :)


End file.
